Title: FG Tightens Academic Verification, Introduces ‘No NERD, No NYSC’ Policy Date Published: 05 March 2026 Description: The Federal Government has introduced a new policy linking participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD), as part of measures to curb certificate fraud and strengthen the credibility of academic records in the country.Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the policy on Thursday during a national capacity-building programme organised to support the implementation of the NERD platform.The programme, themed “Strengthening Institutional Compliance and Academic Records Integrity,” brought together representatives of tertiary institutions to improve the accuracy, security and authentication of academic records nationwide.Alausa said credible data was critical to effective governance and policymaking, stressing that reliable information enables governments to understand challenges and develop workable solutions.According to him, the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank is a national digital infrastructure designed to standardise and authenticate academic credentials issued by tertiary institutions across the country.He explained that the platform will generate national credential numbers, operate a National Credential Revocation Service, run a National Student Clearinghouse and maintain a federated repository of academic theses and abstracts.The minister added that the system would also host a national academic publication and indexing database to strengthen the country’s research ecosystem.Providing updates on the project’s progress, Alausa disclosed that more than 133,000 students and over 6,800 lecturers had already been enrolled on the platform within four months of enforcement.He said the system is supported by more than 655 focal persons nationwide and has already preserved nearly 100,000 digital student submissions.According to him, more than 250 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education have been integrated into the platform for real-time verification of academic records.The initiative has also led to the creation of over 1,000 digital service centres in partnership with Nigeria Digital Entrepreneurs, generating more than 3,000 jobs.Alausa said the government decided to tighten oversight following reports that some Nigerians obtained questionable degrees from unaccredited institutions abroad.He noted that investigations had uncovered cases where individuals reportedly obtained doctoral degrees within six months from institutions that either lacked accreditation or existed only as informal establishments.The minister said such certificates had been invalidated and those found to have obtained them illegally had been removed from public service.He explained that compliance with the NERD platform would now be mandatory for institutions and individuals seeking services from agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education and the Industrial Training Fund.Alausa described NERD as a reform tool anchored on transparency, accountability and traceability, noting that the National Credential Verification Service will create a digital footprint for every academic qualification issued by accredited Nigerian institutions.He also urged educational institutions to prioritise locally developed digital platforms in line with the Federal Government’s local content policy.The minister further announced the creation of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Programme to reward outstanding academic research.He said the inaugural edition of the award, which will offer prizes ranging from N5 million to N20 million, is scheduled to hold in November.Chief Executive Officer of NERD, Tunji Ariyomo, described the initiative as a major step toward preserving Nigeria’s academic knowledge and strengthening the country’s research and innovation ecosystem.He said countries that consistently document and validate knowledge over time often emerge as global leaders in innovation and development.Nigeria has struggled for years with cases of certificate forgery and weak academic record-keeping systems, with several investigations uncovering illegal degree mills in neighbouring countries. The new reforms are aimed at restoring credibility and public trust in the nation’s education system. Attached Images: f7aec7745036c78561cd97def28702c2629931bb0a50e8d96a2971b1aaabc6f5.jpg Attached Video: None